Tea isn’t just about drinking…it’s an adventure!

Lapsang Souchong Superior Tea

As I type this review, I am looking outside my office window taking a short tea break. No one is in the office – we are closed for Veteran’s Day, but I decided to work. For a moment, I reflected on the true meaning of Veteran’s Day. And so, with cup in hand, I salute the veterans of this country for sacrificing their lives to protect the freedoms enjoyed by the rest of us U.S. Citizens. Those of us who sit at home, at work, or wherever we choose peacefully enjoying a cup of tea, or spending time with our families. I say THANK YOU as I sit enjoying a cup of Lapsang Souchong Superior for the ability to sleep at night and not worry about terrorist invasions. I hope each veteran is aware of how grateful we are for their dedication and great courage.

Now, onto the tea review…

Composition: Chinese black tea from the Wuyi region of the Fujian Province, smoked over wood logs. Lapsang souchong is a member of the Wuyi Bohea family of teas.

Dry Visual: Very dark brown and twisted tea leaves. As customary with most black teas, the leaves are broken. Thanks Tantalizing Tea for the picture.

Dry Aroma: Incredibly smoky.

Flavor: I am amazed by the unique flavor of Lapsang Souchong Superior. It’s smoky taste is unlike any tea I have ever tasted before. Lapsang Souchong Superior reminds me of outdoors and open pit fires – when drinking, I found myself wondering what type of trees the logs came from that were used in the smoking process. Later, I discovered it was pinewood. This tea has a distinct “woody” finish.

The dry aroma certainly carries over into the flavor of this full-bodied tea. Lapsang Souchong Superior is very smooth and heavy in the mouth without a hint of bitterness albeit a tad dry. I could not imagine using a sweetener and thankfully none was necessary. I don’t believe a sweetener would be complementary.

Just a little history, The name in Fukienese means “smoky variety” or more correctly “smoky sub-variety.” The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wuyi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines.

If you have had the opportunity to taste a cup of Lapsang Souchong Superior, please stop by and share your experience. I would love to compare notes. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!